M. M. DeZigns...

I posted a gift (baby name word book) that I made for a friend a few weeks ago. A few days later, she contacted me wanting something similar for the baby's room wall. I pulled up my Cricut Design Studio & got to work. The family loved the finished product & hung it within minutes of me delivering it!

I finished my first of the three planners I plan on doing this week (& the wall hanging for one of my customers). I used all three cartridges (Mothers' Day 2010, Cake Basics, & Home Accents). I think it is really cute & I am trying to figure out who to give/gift it to. I was able to use some of my photo mat stacks, including one I picked up last week at Joann on clearance for $.97!   Did you use these cartridges this week?? If so, post a comment with the link!

I am so excited! So excited, in fact, that I created a project that was not part of my regularly scheduled programming LOL. I ventured to Hobby Lobby with my 40% off coupon in hand hoping to find something worth buying. I was attracted to the stencils, particularly the swirly ones. After my discovery of bling at Joann the other day, I figured I could use the stencils as guidelines for my blinged out dezigns... After 10 minutes of trying to decide, I noticed Grafix Blue Stencil Film & the idea hit me - use my Cricut Expression to make my own bling templates!   Using my Gypsy, I filled the mat with the swirly designs I liked (the ones pictured are from Cake Basics) in various sizes - something not offered on the precut stencils at the store. I did a quick Google search to find the right settings for my Cricut - blade depth at 6, pressure at 5, speed at 3 and multi-cut 2 - and I was ready to cut! They came out beautifully & I just had to try them out. The "Winter Wish...

Today, we remember & celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. So many years later, we see that in some places, his "I Have a Dream" speech has come to fruition, while in others we can see just how far we have to go. My plea with those who read this is to remember not only the man & the movement, but to also remember that this was a man of God, a reverend, whose movement started in the church. My pastor challenged us to keep this in mind & make sure we are sharing with our children that it wasn't just a movement of men, but a move of God that unified people across religious boundaries. I also realized today that I have 72 followers... less than 30 away from 100! I feel a challenge & some blog candy is in order. When I reach 100 followers, I will have a challenge for some SWEET blog candy! I will also need all of your help to get there, so stay tuned for that too! Your hard work may be rewarded :) Lastly, I have to get back on my personal...

I was at Joann today & ventured into the wedding section... I found these hot fix rhinestones for $2.99. The 3mm pack has 1000pcs, the 4mm pack has 750pcs, & the 5mm pack has 400pcs. I see alot of blinging in my future!

A friend of mine is expecting her first child, a girl, that she is naming Aaliyah. I decided to use my Cricut & my Don Juan cartridge (so glad to have it!) and create a memory book (word book) for her. I am not a fan of pink (I actually can't stand it), but she told me the baby's room will be pink & brown and I want this book to have a home there. I see a few more of these books in the near future for my nieces & nephew!

Melissa over at Disney Dreamer Designs is celebrating 20,000 visitors with some blog candy. Stop by, become a follower, leave a comment, and post this on your blog for a chance to win the Limited Edition 2010 Love Struck Cricut cartridge!

Okay, this year I am being very conscious of the money I spend... so when I heard Cricut Cartridges were $9.99 at Michael's (sale is going on at some Michael's now, so check your out), I was excited... but I remembered I am trying to stay within my budget this year. Then, a friend let me know that cartridges were on sale for $1.99 (yes, one dollar & ninety-nine cents) at her Kroger store, I couldn't justify not spending $2 on a cartridge! I've gone to three of my local Kroger stores (two near my office & one near my home) and only found 1 cartridge... but who could beat it at that price?!?!? If you have these stores near you, it may be worth taking a trip this weekend! (Note: if you don't have Kroger grocery stores, you may find them at other stores. ProvoCraft sold the Cricut machines & cartridges in a few different grocery stores this summer... I believe these are the ones with the special sale.)

I had a wonderful time ringing in the new year with my Detroit World Outreach family last night! From the praise & worship to the fireworks (yes, fireworks in the church) to the reggae-style freestyling that was going on, it was a New Year party for the record books. My daughter had practiced the night before so she could stay up LOL! As I was celebrating & thanking God for getting me through a really rough year, I came to some conclusions for 2011 - I am going to work to expand my business (stay tuned) and financial stability & flexibility will be a priority. What do you plan to do in the new year?